Your laptop could be killing you: Electromagnetic poisoning in the digital age

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In the Digital Age, electromagnetic radiation is everywhere. Even though you can’t see it or “feel” it, electromagnetic radiation is found in natural phenomena such as sunlight and in the form of visible and invisible light waves. With adequate protection, these natural sources of electromagnetic radiation are relatively safe and do not cause any adverse effects. However, radiation also emanates from all electrical devices, from small kitchen appliances to computers, game consoles, and cell phones, not forgetting wireless networks, cell phone towers, x-rays, and medical devices.

What is Electromagnetic Poisoning?

Electromagnetic radiation poisoning, also known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity, is a negative reaction to the over-exposure of a body to electromagnetic radiation. Every person has a different tolerance to EMR, and some may experience hypersensitivity without even realizing the cause of their ill health. The human body uses electromagnetic radiation to function, and every person has their own, individual electromagnetic field frequency. According to researcher, doctor, and author Robert Becker, the cells in your body use electromagnetic signals to communicate with one another, regulating vital functions and helping to maintain homeostasis. Therefore, the introduction of artificial electromagnetic radiation frequencies interferes with the specific frequencies required for the body to function optimally.

Imagine sitting your cell phone close to your television and getting a call or text message come through. In many cases, the incoming signal, which produces electromagnetic radiation, interferes temporarily with the signal and the electromagnetic field of your television set, causing the image to jump and the audio to falter. The same principles apply when your body is exposed to an artificial electromagnetic field. This interference can have a dramatic impact on health and well-being. However, because everyone has their own individual tolerance, the effects are negligible or apparently non-existent in some, while dramatic and even life-threatening in others.

What are the Symptoms of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity?

Symptoms vary as widely as tolerance levels. Some people notice no detrimental effects, and others feel an unspecified feeling of general ill health. Still others experience extreme symptoms, such as Tanja Reins (whose name has been changed for privacy reasons), a published author and freelance editor who, like many, experienced a sudden onset of terrifying and unexplained symptoms.

“I genuinely thought I was dying,” says Tanja, who battled for a diagnosis for over two years. She underwent regular, rigorous testing, but, for two years, no doctor could give her a definitive diagnosis.

“In fact,” explains Tanja, “I was misdiagnosed several times, with one doctor telling me I most likely had MS and another telling me I probably had a malignant mass in my brain that they hadn’t been able to see on the scans. I really thought I was facing a terminal illness.”

Because Tanja worked online, via her laptop and a wireless network, she was exposed to copious amounts of EMR without even realizing the danger she was in. As her illness progressed, she was unable to leave the house, and spent more hours each day on the computer, trying to work, inadvertently making her condition worse. Her symptoms, which are disturbingly common among other sufferers, included:

Blurred vision

Disorientation

Rapid weight loss

Muscle wastage

Loss of concentration

Short-term memory loss

Loss of appetite

Depression

Anxiety

Involuntary muscle movement

Hair loss

Random cramps throughout the body

Stabbing pains in the extremities

Dizziness

Migraines

Aural Hallucinations

These symptoms, with a rapid, unexplained onset and no diagnosis, are terrifying and impact every aspect of daily life, leaving sufferers like Tanja bed- or house-bound. Thankfully, Tanja eventually saw a specialist physician who immediately recognized her symptoms as that of electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

According to the BioInitiative Report of 2012, electromagnetic radiation poisoning has also been linked to cancers and impaired brain function, as well as impaired gene expression and a reduction in melatonin production, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and certain cancers. The report also highlights the dangers of EMF-related enzyme changes that can cause a whole host of disorders including, but not limited to, fetal abnormalities, cardiac problems, and an altered metabolism.

Contention Surrounding Electromagnetic Radiation Poisoning

There is a significant amount of contention as to whether or not electromagnetic radiation poisoning actually exists. Some organizations and health professionals claim that the condition does not exist, and that, in spite of the evidence from clinical studies and expert doctors and researchers, patients who present with symptoms may be experiencing other more common conditions or may, in fact, be imagining the symptoms through misguided fear. But due to a wealth of evidence and numerous studies, more health professionals are accepting that this condition does exist and that it is potentially very dangerous.

Cindy Sage, co-editor of the BioInitiative Report, states that, “It [wireless technology in schools] is essentially an unregulated experiment on children’s health and learning.” She goes on to describe how electromagnetic radiation from wireless technology has a serious detrimental impact on thinking, concentration, and learning.

Dr. Lennart Hardll, MD, PHD, states that, “Epidemiological evidence shows that radiofrequency [electromagnetic radiation] should be classified as a known human carcinogen.” He also boldly claims that the current public safety protocols relating to EMR are woefully inadequate.

What Can You Do to Limit Your Risk of Experiencing Electromagnetic Radiation Poisoning?

Ideally, you should make sure you are never exposed to any kind of artificial electromagnetic radiation. As this would involve moving to a completely deserted island, out of the vicinity of any satellites and with no electricity or battery-powered objects of any kind, this isn’t really practical. So, you need to find other, more practical ways of limiting your risk. First, listen to your body. Many of those who are hypersensitive claim they can feel over-exposure. If, for example, you spend 10 hours with your laptop sitting on your knees while you surf the net and play games, and you find yourself feeling unwell, inexplicably flushed, or experiencing a bad headache, put the laptop away. Checking your social networks or beating the big bad demon boss really isn’t worth the health risk. There are a whole range of other precautions you can take to limit your risk:

Sit as far away from the television as possible

Avoid working with your laptop on your lap

Use an EMF filter for your laptop or PC screen

Limit the amount of time you spend using your devices each day

Get any unusual symptoms checked out immediately

Opt for wired technology over wireless whenever possible

Coat your walls in anti-EMR paint, which is particularly useful in urban areas and for those close to wireless and mobile antennas

Be informed; use an EMR meter to establish how much EMR a device emits before you use it.

Be smart and don’t expose yourself to more electromagnetic radiation than is necessary, as the potential health effects are disturbing, to say the least. By limiting her exposure, Tanja began to recover within just one week. Her symptoms began to dissipate and, within three weeks, she had gained enough strength to walk again. After two months, her memory function has been restored, she is no longer disoriented, and she is back to her old self. Tanja describes how amazing it feels to have her life back again, and not to be living with the fear that she may have an incurable illness. However, she also details how she can immediately feel her health deteriorating with exposure to moderate EMR levels, so she has had to adjust to life in the Digital Age, taking more care than most people to stay away from harmful levels of EMR.